C2.1. Unit 1-4 Phrases & Idioms

Question 1

a leopard can’t/doesn’t change its spots

Answer 1

a person’s character, especially if it is bad, will not change, even if they pretend that it will

Question 2

be in the cards

“So you think they’ll get married next year?” “I think it’s in the cards.”

Answer 2

to be likely to happen

Question 3

be on the point of (doing) something

As we were on the point of giving up hope, a letter arrived.
She was so tired that she was on the point of collapse.

Answer 3

to be going to do something very soon

Question 4

black and white

She only owns black and white T-shirts, but no other colors. (This means she has some T-shirts that are black, and some that are white.)

Answer 4

has no colors except black, white, and gray:

Question 5

black-and-white

Disarmament isn’t a black-and-white issue for me.

She only owns black-and-white T-shirts. (This means her T-shirts are all patterned in some way with a mix of black and white.)

The black-and-white butterfly rested on red flowers. (This means the butterfly is bicolored: black and white.)

Answer 5

A black-and-white subject or situation is one in which it is easy to understand what is right and wrong

Question 6

bread and butter

your bread and butter

Gardening is my bread and butter right now.

Answer 6

a job or activity that provides you with the money you need to live

Question 7

break the mold

Their approach to sports teaching broke the mold.

Answer 7

to be new and different

Question 8

breathe (new) life into sth

We need some new people to breathe life into this project.

Answer 8

to bring new ideas and energy to something

Question 9

change for the better

Her attitude has definitely changed for the better since she started this new job.

Answer 9

to improve

Question 10

change for the better

Her attitude has definitely changed for the better since she started this new job.

Answer 10

to improve

Question 11

have a change of heart

She was going to sell her house but had a change of heart at the last minute.

Answer 11

If you have a change of heart, you change your opinion or the way you feel about something

Question 12

change places

I wouldn’t change places with him for the world!

Answer 12

to be in another person’s situation

Question 13

change your mind

If you change your mind about coming tonight, just give me a call.

Answer 13

to form a new opinion or make a new decision about something that is different from your old one

Question 14

change your tune

He was against the idea to start with, but he soon changed his tune when he realized how much money he’d get.

Answer 14

to change your opinion completely (quite radically) because you know it will bring you some advantage

Question 15

change your ways

If he wants to carry on living here, he’s going to have to change his ways and learn to be a little less messy.

Answer 15

to improve the bad parts of your behavior

Question 16

elbow people aside

They also claim that the security team elbowed aside a steward.

Answer 16

push people with your elbows in order to move somewhere

Question 17

face the idea

Jenny couldn’t face the idea of moving to a big city, so she turned down the job.

Question 18

face the music

On his return to Canada, he finally faced the music and told his wife about his debts.

Answer 18

to accept responsibility for something you have done

Question 19

fall into place

After a lot of work over the past few years, my career goals are beginning to fall into place.

Answer 19

When things fall into place, they happen in a satisfactory way, without problems

Question 20

fame and fortune

She moved to New York in search of fame and fortune.
The proportion of athletes who achieve fame and fortune is tiny.

Answer 20

the state of being famous and rich

Question 21

first and foremost

In spite of her recent success as a novelist, she remains first and foremost a poet.

Answer 21

more than anything else

Question 22

flesh and blood

I was surprised at how much I cared for this girl who wasn’t even my flesh and blood.

Answer 22

someone from your family

Question 23

foot the bill

Don’t worry about paying for your hotel - I’m happy to foot the bill.

Answer 23

to pay for something, esp. something expensive

Question 24

give and take

In every relationship there has to be some give and take.

Answer 24

willingness to accept suggestions from another person and give up some of your own

Question 25

touch-and-go

The doctor says that it’s touch-and-go whether Mary will be okay.

Answer 25

If a situation is touch-and-go, it is uncertain. When you are not sure about the outcome of a situation (50%-50%).

Question 26

go downhill

After his wife died, his health started to go downhill.

Answer 26

to gradually become worse

Question 27

high and dry

Cuts to the educational budget have left many school arts departments high and dry.
The residents of the earthquake-torn city found themselves high and dry because the governor did not approve a disaster relief package.

Answer 27

in a very difficult situation without any help.

Left with nothing at all and with no prospect.

Question 28

life and soul

the life and soul of the party

Answer 28

someone who is energetic and funny and at the center of activity during social occasions

Question 29

lose track

What he was saying was so complicated that I lost track after the first couple of sentences.

I’ve lost track of the number of times he’s asked me to lend him money.

Answer 29

to no longer know what is happening, or not to remember something

Question 30

new blood (n)

The new blood in the team should improve our chances of victory in next week’s game.

Answer 30

people with a lot of energy or fresh ideas who are brought into an organization in order to improve it

Question 31

on the verge (of)
- to be on the verge of sth
- come to the verge of sth

on the verge of collapse/success/tears/death/disaster/war
Her husband’s violent and abusive behavior drove her to the verge of despair.

Answer 31

If you are on the verge of something or come to the verge of something, you are very close to experiencing it

Question 32

out of the blue

One day, out of the blue, she announced that she was leaving.

Answer 32

If something happens out of the blue, it is completely unexpected

Question 33

reinvent the wheel

Answer 33

to waste time trying to create something that someone else has already created. Frequently used in negative constructions.

Question 34

ring the changes (on)
idiom UK

Ring the changes on packed lunches using different types of bread and spicy fillings.

Answer 34

to do something in a different way in order to make it more interesting

Question 35

ring the changes (on)
UK

Ring the changes on packed lunches using different types of bread and spicy fillings.

Answer 35

to do something in a different way in order to make it more interesting

Question 36

shake something up (noun: a shake up)

Technological changes have shaken up many industries.
The first thing the new chairman of the company did was to shake up the management.

Answer 36

to cause large changes in something such as an organization, usually in order to make improvements

Question 37

shoulder the burden

It is part of a manager’s job to shoulder the burden of complaints made by guests.

Answer 37

used to refer to the responsibility that someone has or feels for something.

Question 38

stand in the way of something/someone
(also stand in someone’s way)

You know I won’t stand in your way if you want to apply for a job abroad.

Answer 38

to try to stop or prevent something or someone

Question 39

stick to your guns

Despite harsh criticism, she’s sticking to her guns on this issue.

Answer 39

to continue to have your beliefs or continue with a plan of action, even if other people disagree with you

Question 40

stomach the idea

He can’t stomach the idea that Peter might be the next chairman.

Answer 40

to be able to accept an unpleasant idea or watch something unpleasant

Question 41

teeter on the brink/edge of something

What we are seeing now is a country teetering on the brink of civil war.

Answer 41

If something is teetering on the brink/edge of a bad situation, it is likely that the situation will happen soon

Question 42

the rest is history

The Beatles had their first hit record in 1962 and the rest is history.

Answer 42

everything that happened since then is well known

Question 43

through thick and thin

She has stuck with me through thick and thin.

Answer 43

If you support or stay with someone through thick and thin, you always support or stay with them, even if there are problems or difficulties

Question 44

time and again

I’ve told you time and time again to lock both doors before you leave.

Answer 44

very often. Over and over again.

Question 45

toe the line

At the resort, I always toed the line on company policy, even if I disagreed with it.
If you want to get ahead, you’d better learn to toe the line.

Answer 45

to do what you are expected to do without causing trouble for anyone (esp. job)

Question 46

turn over a new leaf

Apparently he’s turned over a new leaf and he’s not smoking any more.

Answer 46

to start behaving in a better way

Question 47

change hands

That Italian restaurant is nowhere near as good since it changed hands.

Answer 47

to go from one owner to another

Question 48

the icing on the cake
(US also the frosting on the cake)

I was just content to see my daughter in such a stable relationship but a grandchild, that really was the icing on the cake.

Answer 48

an unexpected additional good thing

something that makes a good situation even better

Question 49

to have a lot on your plate

She’s got a lot on her plate - especially with two new projects starting this week.

Answer 49

to have something, usually a large amount of important work, to deal with

Question 50

to put all your eggs in one basket

I’m applying for several jobs because I don’t really want to put all my eggs in one basket

Answer 50

to depend for your success on a single person or plan of action

Question 51

have bigger/other fish to fry

Valentina isn’t staying on here as a student as she has a biiger fish to fry in the US, with a Harvard scholarship.

Answer 51

to have something more important to do

Question 52

sweeten the pill

Plans to improve public services are a way of sweetening the pill of increased taxation.

Answer 52

to make something bad seem less unpleasant

Question 53

take something with a pinch of salt
(US take something with a grain of salt)

You have to take everything she says with a pinch of salt, because she tends to exaggerate.

Answer 53

to not completely believe something that you are told, because you think it is unlikely to be true

Question 54

spill the beans

So who spilled the beans about her affair with David?

Answer 54

to tell people secret information

Question 55

sell like hot cakes

With-profits bonds have sold like hot cakes to older people looking for a low-risk, high return for their money.

Answer 55

to be bought quickly and in large numbers

Question 56

have egg on your face

This latest scandal has left the government with egg on its face.

Answer 56

If you have egg on your face, you look stupid because of something that you have done

Question 57

get egg on your face

Harry got egg on his face when Professor Samuels confonted him in the canteen queue.

Answer 57

to be publicly embarrassed

to feel embarrassed or ashamed because of something you have done or said

Question 58

eat humble pie

After boasting that his company could outperform the industry’s best, he’s been forced to eat humble pie.

Answer 58

to publicly admit that you were wrong